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Actor Sonu Sood joins hands with Aster Volunteers

Bollywood actor and humanitarian Mr. Sonu Sood has joined hands with Aster Volunteers, to encourage people to be aware of the alarming rate of rising liver disease cases in India and take proactive efforts to manage their liver health…reports Asian Lite News

On occasion of World Liver Day on 19th April, Bollywood actor and humanitarian Mr. Sonu Sood has joined hands with Aster Volunteers, the global CSR programme of Aster DM Healthcare to encourage people to be aware of the alarming rate of rising liver disease cases in India and take proactive efforts to manage their liver health. Liver failure due to the unavailability of viable organ donors is one of the main causes of death from liver disease.

The initiative will also support 50 underprivileged children in need of liver transplants receive the needed care at Aster Hospitals’ Multi-Organ Transplant Centre located at Aster CMI and Aster RV Hospitals in Bangalore, and Aster Medcity and Aster MIMS Hospital Calicut in Kerala, India.

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In India, liver disease claims 200,000 lives every year,[i] while only 1500-2000 transplants are conducted every year, 10% of which are for children.[ii] One of the key reasons is the inability to afford the high costs associated with transplant cases. In addition to this, limited universal health-care access and limited availability of viable donors for transplant are major challenges.

Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare:,“Aster since its inception has always believed in giving back to the society. Through this programme and with our association with a humanitarian like Sonu Sood, we intend to raise awareness on organ donation so that more lives, particularly of children can be saved. In the initial phase, we will be supporting 50 children in need of liver transplants from underprivileged families at our hospitals. Apart from being a successful actor, Sonu Sood is a philanthropist at heart. We have all seen his work during the lockdown days and he continues to do so. At Aster, we have been inspired by his act of volunteerism and philanthropy which is something Aster Volunteers stands for – to invite people to volunteer and support the underprivileged and also empower them for a better future. With Mr. Sood’s support in raising awareness among people we are hoping to reach out to more and more underprivileged families and children whose lives can be saved.”

Bollywood Actor & Humanitarian Sonu Sood said: “I happened to come across some of the phenomenal work Aster DM Healthcare has done through Aster Volunteers. It is amazing to see the large number of philanthropic activities taken up by Aster Volunteers and I am glad to support the cause. Rising incidence of liver disease, increasing fatality due to unavailability of viable donors and inability of the needy to afford transplants are causes of concern. We need to collectively come together to raise awareness on the same and help the needy. I hope my voice reaches out to those families whose children are in line for liver transplants but haven’t been able to do so due to unaffordability. I hope the association with Aster Volunteers continues to grow and we work towards a healthier tomorrow.”

Aster Hospital’s newly launched Multi-Organ Transplant centre is a multi-institutional and multidisciplinary centre designed to provide the best transplant experience. The centre is officiated by a skilled team of surgeons with technical expertise in performing different types of transplants including Liver, Kidney, Heart, Lung, Cornea and Bone Marrow Transplant. The centre also has one of the largest paediatric liver transplant programme in entire South India, that supports complete comprehensive care for liver diseases in children, comprising some of the best hepatologists (liver specialist doctors), best liver surgeons, trained coordinators, counsellors, and a nursing team along with critical care specialists, anaesthetists, interventional radiologists, and physiotherapists. The teams at these centres have been trained at some of the best hospitals and specialize in liver treatment abroad, holding a vast experience in hepato-pancreato biliary and abdominal multi-organ transplant surgeries. The centre has completed over 500 successful Liver Transplant Surgeries within the Aster Hospitals in India.

NHS Seeks Steward Volunteers To Help South Asian Community

Steward volunteers needed to help South Asian community with Covid-19 vaccinations … reports Asian Lite News

NHS Volunteer Responders is reaching out to the South Asian community, calling for more Steward Volunteers to support at local vaccination sites. There is a growing need for steward volunteers and the NHS is calling for help to get the community vaccinated.

Getting both doses of the vaccine is the best way for people to protect themselves and those around them from the virus and volunteers in this role will be supporting the clinical staff at vaccination sites and helping the people that have come for their jab to complete the process safely and comfortably.

Volunteers help to ensure social distancing measures are in place and identify people who require additional support. Volunteer safety is a priority, with sites providing a full briefing ahead of the shift.

Jasbir Bangerh

People interested in signing up as a SV can go to www.nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk. Shifts usually last up to six hours with your expenses covered. No experience or qualifications are required.

The NHS Volunteer Responders programme was set up by NHS England and NHS Improvement to support the pandemic response and is delivered by Royal Voluntary Service and GoodSAM. Volunteers use a mobile phone app to choose what shifts they would like to do and when.

Motivated by the loss of a neighbour to Covid-19 last year, Jasbir Bangerh is passionate about volunteering and supporting the NHS and says that she can’t get enough of volunteering in her NHS Volunteer Responders Steward role.

Jasbir said: “I think that vaccine uptake is low among people of my background and often they may be nervous when they arrive on site, but I think it helps to reassure them when they see that I am someone they can relate to. My Punjabi isn’t the strongest but at times I have been able to communicate with people in Punjabi and support them through their visit, which is very rewarding. You have the chance to make a positive impact on someone’s vaccination experience and if they have a good experience, they might go on and share that positivity with their friends or family and you could be making a real difference.

Professor Sir Keith Willet, SRO – NHS Covid-19 vaccine deployment programme at NHS England said: “We are incredibly appreciative of everyone who has stepped forward to support the vaccine rollout so far. All out vaccination volunteers are performing a critical role and are a key part of the programme’s success. Our Steward Volunteers do a fantastic job of freeing up our staff to focus on the task at hand, and at this crucial stage we need these volunteers now more than ever so we can make sure as many eligible people as possible get all their jabs done.”

Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service said: “We are at a crucial moment in the vaccination rollout. There is a real urgency to this, and we are working at pace to get people vaccinated as fast as possible. There is a particular need for steward volunteers to help the vaccination programme reach communities most in need. If you are able to help by joining the team, please don’t hesitate. Together we can get the jabs done.”

NHS Volunteer Responders was set up by NHS England within just a few days in March 2020 as part of the COVID-19 response. It is jointly delivered by Royal Voluntary Service and the GoodSAM app. To date it has mobilised an army of volunteers to carry out almost 2 million support tasks enabling people to stay at home if they are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 or self-isolating for other reasons. It has also provided 74,000 vaccination Steward Volunteers across England.